Somewhere 2 (Crystal Eyes)
by Xee Metallium
Summary: yet more Filia/Xelloss goodness (well badness on Xel's part) - this time, seeing a bit more of the kawaii akuma Please review? oh, I've started the sequel to this sequel! check it out!!!
1. ask a stupid question...

Oh well, here goes....   
**Standard Disclaimer:** I don't actually own any of these characters,(yet) but I would given half a chance, Except Amelia. _ Really..... But yeah, well, I'd own Xel-kun's ass anyday if I could ^.~   
And on to the main feature. Enjoy. Leave lots of reviews and don't get too mad at Zelas! 

  
_***Wolfpack Island, a year after the end of Slayers Try***_

  
"what do you mean?"

"Exactly that."

"You're asking something stupid."

"I really want to try it. Please Juu-ou sama?"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" She spat at her underling. "Not in any circumstances. I won't have it! It's irres... get me a fresh bottle now." 

Xelloss complied, nipping to the cellar to get her some more red wine, cursing that he hadn't waited until she had drunk a lot more before making his request, then came back so she could continue her ranting.

"Where was I?" She asked pouring herself another glass.

"Not in any circumstances, unless you can see a very good reason for it. Irresponsible. Or somewhere around that part." he sighed.

"Oh, yes. It's totally irresponsible and uncalled for. AND I DID NOT SAY UNLESS I SEE A GOOD REASON! I said never! The very idea is plainly unacceptable. Whatever would make you think I'd allow such a thing? There'd never a be a good reason I could come up with for that, and you can stop trying to work out any this second. Do you understand? I never want to even suspect you've given this a second thought." She stopped to empty her wineglass. "And don't even consider trying to find another way. Besides being simply moronic, it is actually impossible. Now get out of here. And stay gone until I call you again."

He nodded, turned and allowed himself to snarl. Being shot down for asking was one thing, but to be fed the 'it's impossible' Bullshit was insulting. 

"Even if it was possible you wouldn't get the results your hoping for." Zelas added in reply to the unseen facepulling. "Only a few things would change. I can tell now it'd only be the things you haven't really considered."

What does she know?   
"I'm not a moron. I know what I want." he muttered defiantly to himself before adding louder. "It would b..."

"NO!"

"Getting away from you would be another bonus." He muttered as he left hurriedly for a small clearing in a forest, which after events while back, just after the fight against Dark Star, but as fresh in memory as yesterday, had become one of his favourite haunts.

He settled up on a tree bough and began sulking, staring at the sunny cloudless sky. That wasn't helping either. Neither was the birdsong in the air, or the just sickeningly nice atmosphere of the day. Just to feel better, he found a pile of small rocks and began flicking them into the nearby stream, from his perch in the tree, hopefully decapatitating an innocent fish or giving some form of water life concussion. 

Well, it was some form of pastime. A boring one, but it would waste time. He idly wondered if Filia would be coming this way, since he hadn't been here in a while. He also considered checking on his pet rock, aptly named Zelgadiss, or even going looking for Lina and Co, just to learn a bit more about what he wanted to do. 


	2. Reunions

*****A tea shop, somewhere in the world*****

Once again, Filia sipped elegantly from her teacup.

"What a beautiful evening." She sighed, leaning back from the table to look at the sunset. The golds and pinks in the sky were the perfect way to finish what had been a perfect day. The fact she'd been wandering the town aimlessly, neglecting her shop was irrelevent. Even she needed a break some days. Besides, Jillas and Grabos were more than willing to look after the place for her.  
She paid the waitress for the tea she'd just had and walked out into the forest.

Making sure nobody was around, she concentrated and morphed into her dragon form. Then took off into the mountains to find a perch to watch the remaining sunset bathing the ground in its golden light.  
She glided happily along to a ledge on a cliff face on the mountain, and transformed back, finding herself a fresh cup of tea.

Filia half watched the view and half fell asleep in her relaxed state. She wondered offhandedly why she was sat up here in human form, but put that down to ease of movement. And that she actually liked humans.

Funny creatures. She thought. So weak and small minded, but so strong and happy. Not to mention....

Then her flow of thought was disturbed by a loud explosion, and a massive cloud of black smoke from the distance. Without really considering why, she changed back to dragon form and dived in that direction, flying as fast as her wings could take her.  
She kept focused on her destination, lest the smoke should clear and she couldn't find it. Another 'Klabammo!' made her speed up. 

*****Some town, a random restaurant*****

"If you ever need to find Lina, follow the smoke, then your nose to the food!" Xelloss told himself proudly, having indeed found Lina by that exact method. Gossip of big explosions led him to the right town, and a guide book listing out the most famous restaurants in the area did the rest of the work. 

"Gourry! hey gourry! Mppughh mhh chimmphen dohnmnw!!!" Lina exclaimed, translating roughly as 'put my chicken down or I'll toast your hair off, you stupid jellyfish for brains.' 

"bumhf youmh stomph mhh mm...hey!" Gourry stopped, choked, and continued gorging. "mm.. mhey, its mmmpph... mmm..." He stopped and looked blankly at Lina. "uhh... Lina?"

"WHAT?!" She yelled, tearing a chunk out of the next unfortunate chicken leg. 

"Who's that?" He pointed briefly at Xelloss, who had sat a few tables over with a glass of water.

"It'sm Xell." She replied, not seeing Gourry (lucky for the swordsman) steal several sausages from one of her plates.

"Ism Ameria with him?" He asked

"Wrong Zel." Lina replied, patting her stomach. "Waiter! More please!"

"Oh! Hey Xellmossh why don't you join us?" Gourry called over, finishing his plate.

"You idiot." Lina hissed.

"Well, its not Like he eats a lot. And he might pay." Gourry added brightly as the mazoku pulled up a chair next to them.

"Well, who would have expected to see you two in this area?" Xelloss said over cheerfully. 

"Oh, well, Lina heard about some spellbook. And why are you here? Hows Amelia?"

"Wrong Zel!" Lina whispered, elbowing Gourry in response to Xelloss glowering. "What does bring you here anyway?" she asked suspiciously.

"Now, that...."

Lina began getting ready for a fireball. Then stopped on delievery of the food.

"Never mind. Telmm mush whewnn we're phi nnished"   
Xell took a rough guess at this meaning, 'tell us when we're finished.' 

Xelloss sighed and waited for them to finish eating. And waited. And waited. And waited. And then the desert cart came, and he waited some more.

"Uhh... Lina?" Gourry piped up.

"WHAT?!"

"Who's paying?" he asked.

"I thought you were." She told him.

"I thought I was, but my money has gone."

"YOU FORGOT IT YOU JELLYFISH FOR BRAINS?! YOU...."

The chef heard them, and dragged them both to do washing up. Xelloss left the building shaking his head, pocketing Gourry's money pouch. Now THAT'S what happens when you ignore a mazoku. 

*****Back in the sky with Filia*****

Filia kept on going, now nosediving for the town. She heard something and turned to look behind her, and ended up colliding with Xelloss, who'd teleported into the air above the town and was giggling at the results of his handiwork. 

They landed in a pile on the ground.

"Watch where you're flying!" Xell whined crawling out from under a few hundred pounds of dragon.   
Filia screamed and transformed back, knowing that people would come to investigate what the crashing sound had been.

"Did you do that Namagomi?!" She asked pointing her mace at him.

"No. That was Lina-san."

"I'll bet you made her do it."

"I'll bet I did."

"Then we agree on that." She replied, lowering mace-sama.

"Then I'll say I didn't do it." He replied coldly. 

They stared at eachother for a few seconds then turned with a 'Hmph!' 

"Ahhhhhhhh! Making us do washing up can you believe it?!" Lina's voice came loudly across the street as she came to investigate the racket. "And as for you!" She stomped up to Xelloss and put him in a chokehold. "Running away like that! Leaving us to have to do that old man's washing up!"

"Oiiiii!" Gourry called after Filia. "Long time no see! Oiiiii! Filia!"

Xelloss and Lina looked at eachother and Lina dropped her thankful victim, who crawled to sit on the edge of a fountain. "HE REMEMBERED SOMEONE'S NAME?!"

Filia came back.  
"Oh, Lina-san. I'm not staying. I just came to see what all the chaos was about. Now I know it was the Namagomi, I have to get back to my shop."

Lina blinked and scratched her head.  
"Actually It was me. Gourry forgot the money for the..."

"THIEVES!" Yelled the angry chef.

Filia went over and paid him for Lina's meal, regretting it. But she wanted to look good infront of certain evil ones. 

"Sooo, that's how he remembered her name." Xelloss pointed out suddenly. "she pays for food. Anyway, see you all." And he vanished with a grin (And Gourry's moneybag)

"Yes, Nice to see you." Filia said, as she too vanished, back to the cliff where she'd left her tea, only to find Xelloss helping himself.

"Why are you here?" She asked abruptly, snatching her teapot back.

"Doing some research." He told her, pulling out a half finished report which was titled 'All about Humans'. "See?"  
  
"I see." She replied, flicking through the report with interest. She couldn't actually read all of it, since the majority of it was in some runic looking language, but there were some very interesting diagrams. "Why didn't you come back after our last umm..." She blushed a little. "you know?"

"I've been busy." he said stiffly, taking the report back and packing it away safely. "I've had things to see and people to do. But," He gave her 'the smile' at this point. "But I'm going to change that soon."

"oh really? Here have some more tea." She offered.

"I can't.' Xelloss replied grimacing. "I'm being yelled for. Bai bai!" With that he disappeared again.

So much for watching the sunset. Filia told herself, looking up at the moon. 

  
----------------------------------

Awww.... What a long chapter by my standards!!! I've had soooooo much free time! ^_^ Oh well, time for the next one!

  



	3. A little shock

*****The forest - the middle of the night, not a soul stirring...*** **

The night, unlike the day was plagued by bad weather. A Thunderstorm. Lightening played in the air, although there was no rain. I guess it could have been called a Peaceful thunderstorm if there could be such a thing.

Our violet eyed anti-hero phased in high up on his usual tree branch. This was becoming a sulking place. And this time, he was sulking a lot. 

Xelloss had just been on the recieving end of something that had really upset him. Zelas was very very angry and he didn't like that to start with. The conversation that had ensued just made things worse and worse.

The forest was deathly silent as he watched the lightening and awaited the thunder. It had a bit of a calming effect on the mazoku. He sat there engrossed heavily in thought. 

About how dangerous lightening was.   
About how if he was a human, he'd been tucked away hiding from it, certainly NOT in a tree, one of the most likely places to get hit.   
About how a human might be scared, but would be taking some comfort from someone else. Or trying at least.

He pulled out his report on humans and ripped it up with angry enthusiasm, destroying each piece in turn by blasting it.

"I can't believe she knew it!" he exclaimed, pulling a branch off the tree in frustration, and throwing at the river. "This is all Filia's fault too. If it wasn't for her then none of this mess would have happened. Not now, not ever!" he stopped his ranting to watch the lightening snake its way across the sky. "Theres only one way to solve this." he told himself more calmly. "Get rid of her. Then the whole thing will blow over. It'll be dealt with, and things will go back to normal."

That decided his next move.  
He'd go and destroy Filia, clearing up what he was going through, and putting Juu-ou sama in a much better temper with him.

_______  
Oh.. I'd love to write more tonight but... Nahhhh......

  



	4. love/hate

**_  
***Filia's room - dark and almost blocking out the storm outside*** _**

On Xelloss' appearence in the room, she didn't wake up, but snuggled tighter into the foetal position hugging mace-sama, as if she'd detected some sort of danger.

He stood at the end of the bed, one finger raised ready to strike her down in the same way so many other dragons had met their fate.  
The only sound was Filia's heavy breathing as he stared at her sleeping, still ready to unleash his frustration on her.

Unexpectedly the next crash of thunder actually made him jump. Xell dropped his ready to blast stance, and silently walked over to her.

"Sayoonara Fi-chan." he murmered, kneeling down and brushing her hair out of her face, to give her a gentle kiss on the cheek. 

Filia sighed and woke up just as he was ready to try again. As she spotted the familiar sillouette against a briefly lightening lit window, and wiped her face, Xelloss focused all his energy in to the attack and released it.

It was weak, and hit the end of the bed. 

The mazoku himself fell to his kness gasping in pain.

"XELLOSS!" Filia exclaimed, sitting bolt upright and casting a quick light spell. "What... why... What are you doing?!" 

"Are... you... always....so glad to see.....me?" He panted, trying to stand up. 

"What were you doing?" She asked, gripping the mace tightly, worried a serious fight was about to break out between them.

"I was.... Going." He said, vanishing back to his tree.

"He was really going to kill me." Filia thought, getting dressed and going to check on Valteria's egg. "No point going back to bed now."

**_***And back to the forest again....***_**

The storm had really picked up now. The winds howled threatening to fell every tree in their path. Rain hammered angrilly into the land, beating down the leaves on the trees.

And Xelloss sat ignoring it all on his perch, his thoughts on a conversation from earlier.

"They live short pointless lives. They're weak. They're pathetic. They care more about others than themselves. They're useless. They're easy to hurt and destroy."

Humans. What about dragons? Forget it.

"Filia's messing with my head." he told himself severely. "She's killing me as I am. A human would be stronger. A human would actually get something from this. And here's me. I want to be weak and pointless." He stared up at the lightening. "L-sama probably gets a good kick out of this." 

Xelloss sighed and pulled his cape over him as a little protection from the rain and wind. 

Thinking about how Filia was probably sitting up, scared of his return, he fell asleep.


	5. a fresh start

Waking up can be one thing.

Waking up wet can be pretty rotten.

Waking up cold and wet halfway up a tree is something else altogether.

As Xelloss discovered the next cold but sunny morning. He shivered and slipped off the branch landing with a heavy thud.

That wasn't right and......

"OWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!" He yelled having landed awkwardly. Twisting your ankle really really hurts.  
He glared at the tree, as if to blame it for his clumsiness, and noticed the scorch marks down the side of it.   
Looked like the tree had been hit by lightening during the night.

He scrunched his face up distastefully. Wet yuk. Then he decided he'd go and give Filia a big wet hug to make up for last night.

And where had his cape and staff gone?

It was only after about three attempts he realised he wasn't actually warping anywhere, but staying put and looking like a wet idiot in the forest.

That was annoying, but, then his jaw dropped in excitement.

"I'M A HUMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!" He yelled out across the clearing excitedly. "I knew it wasn't impossible! I knew it I knew it! I knew it all along!"

He tried to run towards Filia's house, but the twisted ankle didn't want to know. This was a new kind of pain to Xelloss, and he limped most of the way there, hopping every few steps. 

Eventually, he settled for bursting into her shop excitedly, pushing Jillas to one side and going straight to the back where Filia sat working on pottery, painting it with her critical perfectionist eye.

She was adding the final brushstroke when she got knocked off her stool, not only running a horrible line down her last few hours worth of work, but it fell and smashed into Pieces.

Filia couldn't figure out what was happening for a moment, until she realised she'd been knocked flying by somebody tackling her to the ground and giving her the squashiest bear hug ever.

"Filia-chan! Something has just..."

Filia looked into her asailents eyes, confused until she suddenly realised who it was.

"XEL! What are you doing?!" She hissed, whipping out mace-sama to clock a good hit on his head. 

He shook his head at the pain then held it.  
"owwww...."

Filia got up and angrily swept the remains of her work into a pile, keeping a wary eye on Xelloss, not being able to place exactly in her mind what was odd about him today.

Xelloss stood up and grinned at her.

"There's something I've wanted to say for a very long time. A very very long time. And I can now."

Filia's heart stopped at this comment. 

Was he going to say those three words to her?  
That was a scary thought.

"Life is wonderful!" Xelloss exclaimed with a giggle grabbing her arm. "Life is wonderful. Life is wonderful!"

"You... you..." She stared at him in suprise. "How? Why?"

"I don't know." he said though supressed childish giggles. "I just woke up like this. Because I..." He stopped giggling and stared into her from those amethyst eyes. " I wanted to be with you more than anything. And Humans are the halfway point between what you are and what I was. Filia?"

Filia sighed and looked away.

"Filia? Help me? You know more than I do about this. Filia?"

"Lets patch up your foot first." she suggested practically, turning back to face Xelloss. "Then some breakfast?"

He screwed his nose up a bit.  
"Does that mean eating like Lina-san?"

___________________

hehehe. Caught out again by bedtime ^_^ I'll get the next part up ASAP!!!

  



	6. First breakfast

  
Filia bound Xelloss injured ankle up tightly, then they went to a nearby inn for breakfast. Assuming Xel himself had no means of paying for the meal, she was prepared to buy it, but the sight that met the two as they entered changed the need for that. 

"MPHUMPH MHAT MWOWN... Mph... FIREBALL!!!"   
Gourry ducked the redheads fieball and dived across the table for more toast.

"Filia?" He gulped tugging at her cape and dragging her away from the table. "No. I am not joining in with that."

"Your gonna have to learn about eating properly. And who better to learn about food from?"

"No. no. anyone but those two."

"Zel! Amphh.. AMERIA!" Gourry called over, getting clocked on the head by Lina, a) for stealing her sausage, and b) for getting their names wrong. Filia dragged the whiny human-ex-mazoku over to the table, and sat down herself. 

"Oy, Xelloss, what did you want yesterday?" Lina asked as more food was served up.

Xelloss shook his head, touching some toast to his lips just to see what it was like.

"nothing that matters now." he replied, staring wild-eyed at Lina tearing chunks out of her food. 

"Mhh wmell." She said, mouthful as usual. 

Gourry and Lina then began a tug of war over yet more food, and they were a little more than surprised when Xelloss dived across the table to grab food for himself. Then the battle became a 'every man (and lina) for themselves' affair.

Oddly enough, When the three had managed to eat the inn out of cupboard, Lina's only thought was her counting her blessings she didn't have to fight with Amelia over the food as well. 

"Uh.... Lina?" She shuddered. That tone of voice meant one thing.... "Since when did Xelloss eat so much?"

"hmm...." She narrowed her eyes in thought staring at the trickster who was holding his stomach looking slightly ill. "Yeah.... Since when?"

Filia sighed and swirled her tea around in the cup studying the ripples in it. Xelloss stole it and drank the tea hurriedly.

And then spluttered it back up.

"Wha...the...is...the...why...owwwwwww!" he gasped between splutters.

"did it bite you?" Gourry asked brightly. Lina looked confused. Filia took note of the sudden role reversal.

"No! It's too F'n hot!" he exclaimed. 

"Enough." Filia remarked getting up hurriedly. "I'm out of here." And she vanished.

"Filia-san! Wait for me!" He cried jumping up and limp-running back to her shop. 

"uhh... Lina?" Lina didn't respond with violence, she ran to the door to see what was going on with an expression that matched Gourry's confusion.

"Uhh Lina?" She punched Gourry as he came up to the doorway to watch too. "It's Other Zel." he said pointing to Zelgadiss.

The Chimera didn't look very happy, but I guess we could say that was pretty normal. He intercepted the limping Xelloss and deliever him a smooth punch to the gut. 

"I know what you've done mazoku." He growled, drawing his sword. "Tell me, how. How did you do it? Or is this an act?"

It was unusual for him, but Xelloss turned tail and fled to Filia's shop.

Someone was watching. 

"Pathetic humans...."

___________

Zelgadiss Just had to appear in this somewhere! But his story is another story!!

___________

  



	7. Sky and daffodils

It was the evening of the first day Xelloss had spent as a human. Filia was finding it quite amusing. Especially when he discovered the effects of over-eating.  
Despite the fact he'd researched humans in some depth, (She remembered his report with the little diagrams on reproduction...) Xel was still clueless about a lot of things, and what he did know about he didn't expect. 

Take for example now, Filia was carrying him on her back, whilst she flew up into the mountains. They'd decided to go for a walk, but Xelloss had come to the conclusion that humans were heavy, slow, clumsy and hard work to move around as.

So, she had him clinging on to her back for dear life as she dived down to her spot in the mountains.  
He's scared, she thought. Doing a good job hiding it by pretending to be stupid. However. This had come about very suddenly. Wasn't that a good reason to be distrustful?

Filia landed and slid Xel off her back, then shared some tea with him. She pointed out the sunset. It wasn't as pretty as the one she'd tried to watch the other day.

"See? Is that a wonderful sight?" She asked.

"No. Not really." he replied distantly. 

"No?" Filia turned to look at him. Xel was sat with his knees scrunched to his chin and staring down at the houses below. "Look at all the colours."

"Yeah, it looks like someone threw a bucket of pink paint at the sky." He paused to looked up. "And yellow, and red, and purple. Same as every other sunset."

"They are never Identical." she muttered, shuffling up closer to lean on him. "Tell me now. Did you do this to yourself, just for me?" 

Filia awaited a response with baited breath. The only response she was getting was a face now hard in thought. 

"I didn't do this to myself." Came the quiet reply at last. "And whoever did do it must have had a reason. So I don't know how long I'll be like this for. could be until midnight, could be forever."

"Oh." she said, with a twinge of disappointment.

"May as well enjoy it while we can!" he said suddenly, face changing to a crazy happy grin. "After all, there's so much more I can do like this and appreciate it!"

"Like what?" She asked slyly, quite okay with what she thought he meant.

"Pick flowers!!!" Xel exclaimed waving an unfortunate daffodil in her face.

"You nut." She said bopping him on the head with the flower. 

"Damn mazoku, namagomi, fruit and nut. I have a name! Ooooooh!" he pounced and decapitated another daffodil. Scooping up a big bunch of them, he turned and handed them all to Filia. "I ripped their heads off just for you!"

She smiled and took the flower heads.  
"You're supposed to leave some of the stalk on so they can stay alive, silly."

"Silly now? Well, what else should I expect from a barbarian like you who likes to torture flowers to death?"

"Come on then banana brains." She sighed grabbing his arm and warping back to her house.

"Banana brains? Banana brains? Weeeeeeeell, aren't you dirty minded?"

"You thought it, not me." Filia told him making a mental note to never let Xelloss near sugar, bananas or sausages."hungry?"  
He nodded rapidly. Filia then decided Lina was the wrong person to have picked to teach anyone about eating.


	8. should have known

*****FIlia's room. Late late at night*** **

This meant so much more now. And felt so much better.  
So, he was a pathetic almost powerless human, and mortal. A small price to pay to experience these new feelings.   
"If only time could be frozen so this moment could last forever." he murmmered "I'd stay here until the...the..."

Filia ran her hand through that silky hair (You can use a little imagination here!!!!) and sighed in disappointment.   
"Please, fight it?" She pleaded.

Xelloss winced as he felt a wave of sickness and dizziness overcome him.

"No. Please don't!" Filia pleaded louder. He leapt out of bed away from her, morphing into his usual attire and landing neatly. 

"I have to go." He told her, blanking out, if he was actually feeling any emotions. "You know I can't stay with you now." he strode back over to her, and pushed his nose against hers in a playful eskimo kiss. Glancing up at the window, that cause him to freeze, then he threw Filia not just away from him but across the room.

She landed dazed agaist the wall and watched the demon vanish from before her. Unable to put a reason to his sudden action, she looked up at the window to where his gaze had frozen. Sillouetted against the moon, was not only was Xelloss' outline, but a bigger female one. 

Something was omnious about that. Especially as Xelloss flew backwards from the other, then followed her to wherever mazoku go.

Filia felt her heart drop at this sight.

_He's in trouble._

_Be okay for me._


	9. lost

It had been a whole three days now, and Filia was beginning to wonder if she'd ever see Xelloss again. The last she had seen was the two mazoku flying into the distance, followed by a huge explosion from where they'd been hovering.  
  
She kept looking around warily waiting for him to warp in and suprise her. For which she couldn't wait to give him a playful clonk over the head. She was ready to pounce on that annoying smile at any second.  
  
Of course, things didn't go that way.   
  
They never do go according to plan.  
  
Filia was actually looking for Lina. She'd tried all the local restaurants and was fresh out of ideas where to look.   
  
She scouted around the forest. Maybe there were bandit gangs, hidden treasures. Something.  
  
"Liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiina-saaaaaaan?! Are you out here?!" After much searching she began flying over the forest and around, with no luck. What she did see was a crater roughly where Xelloss had been that night.  
  
She landed by it and studied the surroundings for any clue to what happened, then she sat on the edge of the crater and began sobbing.  
  
Her thoughts disturbed by someone stepping up behind her, purposefully and grabbing her by the shoulder. She knew who it was, and she knew what they wanted.  
  
"Go on. Kill me."  
  
The silence that followed was quite possibly the longest thirty seconds in history.  
  
She didn't react, but stared into the distance as her shoulder was grabbed.  
  
"Fine. I will." 


	10. vengence

The silence lasted for seemingly ages. Even the rustling of the trees ceased in those few moments.   
Filia closed her eyes and prepared for the worst. Trying to hold down the instinct to run. She felt physically sick and dizzy.

Things were staring to feel unreal to her.

Mintues later, she'd gathered he thoughts into some sort of understandable order.

_What are you going to..._

There it was. A surge of power building up behind her.

_Don't. please. don't._

No good, he was. She started to her feet, but no fast enough.The attack slammed straight into her back, sending her flying with a piercing scream, through a good number of trees, and crashing to the floor in a heap.

_Must fight_

Filia felt a sickening tightening in the pit of her stomach as she realised that single attack had rendered her helpless and strong enough only to play dead and hope her attacker went away.

Attackers, she noticed as the two mazoku materialised close enough for her to reach out and touch, had she not been so weak. She couldn't hear them, all she could hear was a buzzing and thumping in her head, but between grassblades and bloodsoaked hair, she could distinguish the shapes of a rather foul mooded woman, who Filia correctly guessed as being Zelas, and Xelloss, feverently nodding to the dark lord's ranting and raving, which involved a lot of pointing at the injured Filia.

Xelloss took aim at Filia again and fired.  
This didn't hurt, it actually just jolted Filia slightly.

The exasperated Zelas yelled again, pointing. Filia got the impression this outburst was followed by a quieter more dangerous threat.  
Another weak jolt hit her. 

Zelas didn't yell this time, she smoothly snapped her fingers sending the weaker mazoku flying backwards too. She ignored him after this point and prodded Filia with her foot.. 

Dissatisfied with what she saw, another blast thumped it's way into Filia's side, then Zelas vanished into nothing.

Filia was thankful to say the very least.  
A few moments later, she was suprised. Both of them had the power to wipe out hundreds if not thousands of her kind in a second. So why she was still here puzzled her.

Xelloss ran over to her from where he had landed. He too was bleeding, but like a human. He dropped down by FIlia and pulled her close to him.

"Don't die." he murmmered though what sounded like a sob. 'Don't.You mustn't. Filia?Don't! Come on. Filia!!"   
Xelloss shook her hard, trying in vain to get some response. "No... no.... no.... Somebody help... A recovery spell... anything... anything...." He trailed off as he noticed something glowing around his fingertips.

He knew this one. Recovery!!

But having no experience handling magic as a human, he spell was only half effective. But hopefully enough to give the dragon maiden enough time for him to get her somewhere where she could be helped. 

With being human came the determination that took them through pain. He lifted her over one shoulder and began the long trek back to town...

--------------------------  
Dammit, I need to write longer chapters!!!

  



	11. thats not all

ooh, I dont think this is gonna be a very long chapter....  
_____________________________________________  
  
  
Xelloss carefully laid FIlia on her bed and slid to the ground with a resounding thump. He was exhausted from carrying her. She seemed a lot heavier now. But he'd made it back after having collasped himself. Some passer-by was kind enough to stop and heal them both, although he hadn't taken much notice of who it was.  
  
Anyway, that was none of his business   
So long as everything was okay for him.  
  
Filia was still out cold, but alright.  
He washed his face while waiting for her to awaken.   
The first twitch of her eyelids was enough to send him flying back to the side of her bed.  
  
"Why did she leave?" Filia asked, later that day sipping her tea.  
  
"I have no idea." Xelloss sighed in reply, also trying to figure out what had happened. "I know that Juu ou wanted ME to kill you, not to do it herself. However I think she's made me human as a punishment, for wanting to be human."  
  
"That does NOT makes sense." Filia said, looking at the bottom of her teacup, as if suprised to find it empty.   
  
"It makes perfect sense! She thinks being human is all about being weak, useless and emotional! She thinks its the most terrible thing since..um.. since... Since I came into existance!" He added with a grin after a bit of thought.  
  
"I'll bet." She replied dryly. "After all, I'm sure she can't let someone as useful and valuable as yourself become weak, useless and emotional, can she?"  
  
"well....no. But, she only knows half the story, I'm sure."  
  
"Really?" Filia asked, how much of it do I know myself?  
  
"That is a..." He hurriedly changed his answer as mace-sama came into sight. "Most of it. I'm here for you, aren't I?"  
  
"WHAT don't i know?!" Filia demanded. She wasn't angry, but wasn't going to let Xelloss, annoying mazoku, human or otherwise, get away with hiding information, since it was probably the more important things he held back.  
  
"Oh dear. You don't want to know that."  
  
"Tell." She slapped the mace warningly. "This will hurt a pathetic little human you know."  
  
"I know that! You know, I'm here because I... because of you. She thinks I'm here just to have a good time. But you know there's more to it than that, yes? And what Juu ou sama doesn't know, doesn't hurt me."  
  
"That's what I already know. What don't I know?" Filia dropped her demanding attitude as he looked away at the ceiling, eyebrows knitted together in hard thought. "Is something bothering you?"  
  
"Appart from going through a mazoku equivelent to puberty?" He asked pointedly, flipping his gaze back to Filia. "Perhaps I don't want to talk about the other things on my mind."  
  
"Alright." She said, turning away. "come on. Lets get you some form of defence. Magic lessons, a sword or something."  
  
"I can use a sword. I'm not a stupid as I sometimes pretend to be." he replied in mock dignity, following her. "Where are we going for that?"  
  
"To find Lina's group."  
  
"NOOO! NOT THEM!"  
  
___________________________ 


	12. swords-jellyfish-manship

Ehhhhhh..... This ones not gonna be serious or long   
  
Finding Lina was an increasingly difficult task as one by one the local restaurants went out of business in the area. Filia was toting along a sword weilding and rather whiney human Xelloss.   
They ended up staying at an inn for the night at least two towns away. They knew Lina was staying in that town with Gourry, and the best way to find them was going to be by waiting until breakfast. The method worked.  
  
"Mphh mee mehph phiss phmragh. mooph manph usph bo pelph you pearn phow phick pup phor morphelf?"   
Xelloss Blinked, looked at Filia for a translation, then dived on some nearby toast.  
"Perhaps Gourry could teach him some swordsmanship, I thought." Filia said to Lina in a very business like manner.   
"Mou mean like... a tutor?" Lina eyed Gourry eating with suspicion, then sighed and leant back away from the table. "Well, we'd love to help you and all.... but you see...."  
  
"We'd pay you well." Xelloss interrupted, shaking the still stolen money bag under the table, the sound was more than enough to get Lina's attention.  
  
"We can get right on it." Lina replied wih enthusiasm. "Gourry!" Lina whipped his breakfast away to consume it herself at an incredible rate. "Listen, these two want you to teach them how to fight with a sword. Can you show them how?"  
  
"Uhhh.... Lina? I thought Zel already had a sword he knew how to use."  
  
"WRONG XEL!" She exclaimed bopping the jellyfish brained one over the head with a plate.   
  
"It's just Xelloss." Filia told them. "He wants to learn the human way of fighting."  
  
Once breakfast was over, (or the place went broke - whichever was sooner) Gourry ambled out into surrounding land, pushing a rather unwilling Xelloss infront of him, even carrying him kicking and screaming part way.   
  
Xelloss really really didn't want to learn how to fight from Gourry.  
  
Filia and Lina stayed behind discussing the finaces of the deal. That sorted, and Lina already pocketing half what payment they promised her, the two began a conversation.  
  
"What is going on Filia?" Lina asked as they went looking for the two men. "First he steals half our breakfast, THEN wants to be taught to use a sword. That mazoku is more than powerful enough to defend himself."  
"But he's not a mazoku." Commented another voice as Zelgadiss joined them from the other direction.  
  
"How do you know?" FIlia asked him pointedly.  
  
"A bigger mazoku told me." He said. "Filia, a mazoku priestess came to me. Just to point out Xelloss had used the one thing that could cure me to make himself human. Apparently it's a trick mazoku use a lot to get an idea of who and what they're dealing with. And to make people think they're helpless by pretending to be weak and not knowing a thing."   
  
"And Why would a mazoku priestess tell you that?" Filia snapped.  
  
"Possibly because they're on a different side and want us to do their dirty work." Lina suggested. "So, he's human."  
  
"What did this priestess look like Zelgadiss-san?" Filia asked. Then wished she hadn't as Zelgadiss described the lady mazoku - Zelas - whom she'd seen the otherday.  
  
"It's a trick." Filia said at last. "That woman wants him killed."   
  
***Xelloss and Gourry training elsewhere***  
  
Gourry parried off Xelloss' attacks with ease. He wasn't a bad swordfighter. He was actually good at it. Fast, light on his feet, and quite strong. Gourry swiped across for his chest, and Xelloss leapt backwards to avoid it.   
  
"You have to come and get me Zel.." Gourry called over. " Imagine I have your food."  
  
Xelloss shook his head and ran in with another attack, just for it to be deflected and him to go flying landing in an unelegant lump with his backside right up in the air, which Lina ran over and kicked.  
  
"Not doing very well are you?" Zelgadiss commented dryly, watching as the mess untangled himself from the floor.  
  
"Oh dear. I'm terrible at this!"  
  
Gourry nodded.  
"He really is."  
  
Filia glanced at Lina who was already badgering Zelgadiss into taking over.   
  
Who agreed suprisingly.  
"One condition you." He remarked pointing his sword close to his throat. "You tell me how you got like this. And you dare say that is..."  
  
"I don't know!" He blurted out. "All I know is I had a lot of stuff on my mind, fell asleep in a tree, woke up wet cold and human!"   
  
"That's a likely story." Zelgadiss snorted, sheathing his sword. "I doubt it."   
  
"Would lie if you were me?"  
  
"Yes." He replied bluntly. "I don't trust you."  
  
"Forget it then." Xelloss sniffed, plodding back to Filia. "I'll be okay for a while. I know enough to survive."  
  
"If you say so."  
  
The two went back, discontentedly, to Filia's home. 


	13. decisions

It took a few days to get used to, but Filia began to enjoy Xel's antics as a human.   
He had a wicked destructive side to him still, which lead to an interesting way of disposing of Filia's wasted vases. Xelloss took great pleasure in stamping them down into lots of small pieces, and creating works of art with them.  
Regardless of his taste for smashing and crashing, Filia discovered he was sensitive to the sight of blood. She found this out when he helped her with cooking (hey, he's human, the worst he can do is burn it...maybe) and managed to cut part of his finger rather than the vegetables. This was followed up by knocking a pan of boiling water down and making a big wet mess, most of which found a home burning a leg.   
Upset and frustrated, Xelloss picked up the nearest object and threw it on the stove heat. No one was fast enough to see what it was, but it exploded, leaving the room black.  
  
"Grrrrrrr..... YOU NAMAGOMI!!!!" FIlia yelled wiping the soot off her face. Wisely, Xel had vanished from her sight to wash himself quickly.  
  
Xelloss got changed, all cleaned up and ready to pretend to be a picture in innocence. As predicted Filia could be heard stoming towards the room. Xel ran to the window, threw it open and stared out of if, blanking the door being slammed open.   
He mock innocence was distracted as looking out into the distance and blonde haired woman seemed to be barking commands at another with midnight blue hair, with a greenish tinge to it.   
  
'barking commands' Xelloss thought with a smile. 'how appropriete a word for her.'  
  
Filia stomped up the stairs and yanked Xel away from the window by his hair. He shrugged off her playful attack and walked past her.  
  
"Where you going?" Filia called after him in surprise. "Where?"  
  
"Outside." He yelled back calmly, running over to wear he'd seen the the two, keeping his grip firmly on the sword he been lent.   
Filia didn't see Xelloss again until that evening. He was definetly think about something.  
  
But so had she been.  
  
"Xell?"  
  
"um?"  
  
"Are you planning on staying here forever?" She asked, clutching her teacup.  
  
"I was." He replied quietly.   
  
"but?"  
  
He look down and away from her with a sigh.   
  
"Humans don't live forever. And I can't..." he paused as his throat became dry. "I don't... think... as much as I... I... Just want things back how they were. I want to be back to normal."  
  
Filia lowered her eyes to the table.   
"You're too weak to take this aren't you?"   
  
"I guess so. But!" She shuddered and the sudden chirpness he came out with. "I'm gonna enjoy all the little things I've been promised for going back."  
  
"Pardon?!" Filia spluttered incredulously. "Your gonna go back just like that?"   
  
"I told you something else had been bothering me. She can solve that for me. Or I'll go insane and destroy the world or something. I know it."  
  
"not if you're human!" She pleaded. "You won't be able to be with me anymore. You'll have to go back to just... doing what you're told all the time... don't do it."  
  
"You're right." He sighed. "Actually, it would be the worst thing for what I've been thinking about."  
  
Filia leapt backwards from him as Zelas materialised beside him.   
  
"You, dragon, are a thief." she snarled, then turned to glare at Xelloss. "and you are... you!" She raised a hand in attack pose as Xelloss ran over to bodily defend Filia.  
  
"NO BITCH!" He yelled back.   
  
"What... did you just call me?"  
  
"Oh no..." he didn't finish his sentence in the resulting explosion.  
  
"Take that back." she spat at the two quivering in the remains.  
  
~~~~(the squiggles escaped from Digi-riven for a mo)~~~~~~~  
Oh, what a place to stop! Hang fire, it'll be done soon ^_^ 


	14. final moments

Zelas bathed in their fear and anger for a few momerts then gave them a glare before vanishing.  
"I'll be back to finish this when I can be bothered." She sneered fading away.   
Filia climbed to her feet uneasily. That hadn't been an attack to pass off lightly.   
Her concerns turned to her human companion who was cowering under the remains of a table.  
"Come on." she told him, hauling the table top away. "Now would be a really really good time to get some help."  
"Agreed." He mumbled faintly through heavy breathing, holding tightly on to Filia's arm.   
  
"Looks like she got you pretty bad." She said, supporting, well actually, practically carrying xelloss.   
  
"Also.... agreed...." he gasped in return, stopping then to cough. Pulling his hands away from his mouth he saw they were covered in blood.  
  
"Don't panic!" Filia exclaimed watching his eyes widen at the sight. He began to quiver but coughed somemore. "Keep going."  
  
Xelloss stayed glued to the spot staring at the blood as he coughed up more and fell to his knees, gripping his stomach, what was left of it, with one arm and chest with the other.  
  
Filia gulped and flooded over with despair as she saw the extent of his injuries and knew deep down that they were too bad for a recovery.  
  
"Changed my mind. Lets stay here." She said softly, coming down to ground level.  
  
"Can...it..."  
  
"shh..." She whispered. "Stay here, travelling will make it worse. I'll get help."  
  
"o..okay..." he replied.   
As Filia ran off Xelloss began to feel floaty and almost to tired to keep his eyes open, although he tried.   
  
'hang in there' Filia thought as she ran as fast as possible. 


	15. return to

  
Filia ran to the inn that Lina's group had been staying at the last few days. It was locked for the night, but she teleported to outside Lina's room (why not inside? She's far too polite!) and hammered loudly on the door.  
"Lina-san! Lina-san!" 

Lina was staring out of the window at a distant plume of smoke.  
"What?" She yelled, not unkindly, turning to run over and unlock the door.

"Lina....san... something....terrible...has happened." Filia panted, tugging Amelia's arm to wake her up. "Quick... you must help."

"Wha?" Amelia mumbled, rolling back into the sheets. 

"Ahhh!" Filia shrieked pointing at a freshly forming cloud of smoke. "Quick! we must get there."

"looks like trouble, sure enough." Lina muttered, whipping the covers off Amelia. "Amelia! It'd be unjust not to help Filia."

"Okay. Okay." The sleepy princess mumbled, pulling her top on back to front and inside out. 

"Filia, you go back there." Lina said, plodding along to wake the two guys. "We'll be along as fast as we can."

Oh her approach to where she'd left him, another explosion ripped through the area, making trees bend and even some snap in the resulting shockwave. She wasn't even that close yet! 

_ you're too late. stop now _

some voice told her out of nowhere.

_you really don't want to see this_

"I must!" She answered defiantly to the voice in her head.

_NO!_

the voice told her firmly.

The next thing she noticed was a wave of dark green energy flying outwards from the same place, not harming her, but was more like standing face on in a strong gale. Any harm it could cause, passed her by completely, but it did carry a long painful scream with it. Which faded away with the evil energies battering the area.

As the energy gale faded down she headed on back to the remains of her house, now completely destroyed.

Gone.

She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and collasped to her knees to gaze into a burnt out crater in the ground.

This was unfair. 

Lina's group ran up to her, but stopped short on seeing her.   
She ignored them.  
"Filia..." Lina whispered softly after creeping up to her. "Come back with us."

She nodded absently and began to trail behind them.

"Up here!"   
That whisper was...  
"here!"   
As the rest of the group vanished from her sight, she looked up into the trees.  
"you had me worried!" She exclaimed, as chirply cheerful back to normal Xelloss landed infront of her.  
"Yeah, sorry about that." he replied. "I'm never going through that again! "

"What the HELL HAPPENED?!" FIlia yelled back at the mazoku.

"I... um... well... Told her everything!"

"you what?"

"Told her why I wanted to do this."

"Idiot!" She spat, stamping her feet. "What about you said you'd be killed? HOW about telling ME you wanted to do this? "

He shrugged in response.  
"She did kill me. That hurt. I don't want to risk feeling that again. I don't want to be human. And you knew."

"So you're going to leave me?"

"Yep! But..." he dropped hs smile for a moment to look at the dragon girl with some seriousness. "I have twenty minutes, then I'm leaving, and more importantly, I'll be made to lose these feelings I have been having. So what we do until then is up to you." 

  
~~~~~The End?~~~~~~  
There it is. please please please review!!   
And as for the issue of plot holes, throw me a ladder so I can climb back out!   
aww jeeez I'm whacked. 2am again. Waaaaah. I did have another ending for this and maybe one day I'll put it up ^_^ one day. 

Little list of thankes tho ^_^ - Natalie-chan for getting me to write the fic in the first place, Digi-riven for making me keep on writing, everyone who's reviewed it for also encouraging me to continue.


End file.
